1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a time/space switching component with multiple functionality and, in particular, to a time/space switching component as employed for realizing a switching network in a telecommunication switching system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a telecommunication switching system, an actual switching or physical coupling of data channels to be switched fundamentally occurs in a switching network. Such a switching network as employed, for example, in the type B switching network of the Siemens EWSD system, is usually composed of a time switching network for the time allocation of the data channels to be switched and of a space switching network for the spatial allocation of the data channels to be switched. The time switching network as well as the space switching network are connected to one another via switching network lines in the switching network.
Furthermore, for switching networks (particularly in the time switching networks within), it is necessary to correct a data channel sequence or time slot sequence (TSSI, time slot sequence integrity). Specifically, a constellation can occur, in particular, in the time allocation of interrelated data channels within a time-division multiplex system resulting in the time sequence of data contents being transposed by one frame, i.e., a modified data channel sequence D(t0), D(t0-2), D(t0-1) arises from an original data sequence D(t0), D(t0-1), D(t0-2due to the switching algorithm of the time or space switching stages after allocation of the data channels. In order to correct such a modified data channel sequence, accordingly, further components must be employed in the switching network.
Additionally, switching networks having a corresponding small, medium or very large capacity are needed for realizing small, medium or large telecommunication switching systems. Usually, a plurality of different modules or components that are respectively adapted to the corresponding demands are employed in traditional switching networks for realizing these very different switching capacities as well as for the correction of the data channel transpositions occurring within. Due to a relatively low number of units, however, the employment of such a great plurality of different modules or components is cost-intensive. In the same way, the development costs for a switching network are increased due to the employment of this plurality of different modules or components.